Saturday, October 4, 2008

Muslims threaten Hindus over cremation

Friends and family remember Shafayet Reja as an affectionate young man who stayed up late to write poetry, danced exuberantly at weddings and explored the faiths of his father and mother with an openheartedness that led him to declare on his Facebook page, “I never get tired of learning the new things that life has to offer.”

But within hours of his death on Sept. 10 after a car accident, his memory — in fact, his very body — had become the object of a tug-of-war over religious freedom and obligation. It began when his mother, who was raised Hindu, and his father, who is Muslim, decided to have his body cremated in the Hindu tradition, rather than burying him in a shroud, as Islam prescribes.

His parents, Mina and Farhad Reja, say a small group of Muslims who do not understand their approach to religion are trying to intimidate them over the most private of family choices. “This is America,” Mrs. Reja said. “This is a family decision.”

The couple say that people accosted them at their son’s funeral, that an angry crowd threatened to boycott a shopping center they own in Jackson Heights, Queens, and that on Sept. 13, two men they know threatened to bomb and burn down the building.

21 comments:

Anonymous
said...

This is what happens when government doesnt control religion. How DARE those Islam extremists show up at a funeral for a young person and try to tear apart his familys values. This is the United States of America and people in this country have rights - If you want to live with YOUR countries values - Go back to YOUR F---ing country!!!

It seems that these "devoted" Muslims are really only devoted to ruling the actions of others who are simply trying to live peaceable lives, harming and interfering with no one else.

Indeed, well stated.

Seems like a bunch of busybodies from the "religion of peace" have nothing better to do then meddle in someone else's affairs. Don't these people have jobs? Do they have families to go home to at night? Do they have hobbies? Do they have anything else to do other than go to the mosque, get on their knees and "pray" to the phantom spirit? Do they ever even bother reading a book other than the koran?

Remind me again why "diversity is our strength", and why we should continue "importing" these intellectual geniuses into the United States. We have enough people who worship phantom spirits in this country as it is.

I am aware of this "next-of-kin" legality, but can't they be sensitive to their deceased son's religion? As a result of the cremation, the son's Muslim relatives have on place to mourn or bury the body.

As for my cousin, why should the insensitive stepmom have more say about the funeral than the daughter? The stepmom does not share the fathr's DNA.

You guys have no fucking clue about what you are talking about. Don't assume shit about what happened if you don't know what happened. This demonstration was NOT about religion...AT ALL. This was about choice, HIS CHOICE about how he wanted his final rites to be. Had he considered himself Hindu, we would have been there to helped carry his body to the cremation. Had he been muslim but he wanted to be cremated anyway, we would have STILL been there for the cremation. I am speaking as a STAUNCH HINDU as someone who knew him and was close to him, and he considered himself muslim and his WISH was to be buried AS A MUSLIM. Perhaps the question you should be asking is why is she, the MOTHER, went against her sons WISHES, when she was well aware of what he wanted.

If he was that adamant about how he wanted to be buried, he should have left instructions in writing with a proxy. As he was a young person, I doubt he even gave it much thought. Therefore, the burden rests with the parents as he wasn't married. Case closed.

hmmmm,i'm a muslim..i'm not married to my cousin,no one i know is married to an uncle and all of my family and friends who are muslims are not fanatics,extremists or terroists.There are good people and bad people in this world. at the end of the day we humans are the best of the Almighty's creations and we need to respect each other no matter what our colour or religion is (Prophet Muhammads last sermon)..."ALL mankind is from Adam and Eve,an Arab has no superiority over a non Arab nor a non Arab has any superiority over a Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.I know you have to earn respect and yes there are many evil people out there who claim to be religious but they do not represent me or any other person who is a Muslim or non Muslim. My best friend is not a Muslim and we have been mates since we were at high school,also i have many friends who are Hindu,Sikh,Christian,catholic and Jewish.And the same goes for my kiddies... they are taught to respect all and to not behave in a narrow minded manner towards any one.

Re:"My best friend is not a Muslim and we have been mates since we were at high school,also i have many friends who are Hindu,Sikh,Christian,catholic and Jewish.And the same goes for my kiddies... they are taught to respect all and to not behave in a narrow minded manner towards any one."

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